Powerful Zika vaccine protects mice and monkeys from the virus stat : New Scientist

Manjurul Haque/EyeEm/GettyA new vaccine against Zika virus gives mice and monkeys immunity in tests. Weissman's vaccine is also more potent, giving rhesus macaques immunity to Zika virus at one-twentieth of the dose needed for other vaccines. The vaccine is based on the inactivated virus, and just one low dose is needed. The fifth monkey had a small amount of the virus present, possibly because it received too high a dose of the vaccine. In their tests, the team found that mice that received the vaccine were immune at two weeks and at five months following the dose.




Rick Scott has announced 34 grant awards for Zika virus research following his authorization of $25 million in state funds for Zika research and vaccine development last fall. Grant funding will be used to help expedite the development of a vaccine to prevent Zika infection, understand and mitigate long-term impacts of Zika virus on children and adults and develop innovative, cost-effective Zika testing methods. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) oversaw the grant process, which was awarded through a competitive process based on recommendations by the Biomedical Research Advisory Council. The following organizations received grant funding awards:Florida Atlantic University – $199,280Florida International University – $2,183,004Florida State University – $2,169,675Moffitt Cancer Center – $199,280Nova Southeastern University – $198,886The Scripps Research Institute – $199,280University of Central Florida – $1,297,817University of Florida – $2,922,999University of Miami – $13,170,784University of South Florida – $2,458,995For a full breakdown on projects and grant funding, please click HERE. Researchers at any university or research institute in Florida were eligible to apply.


While there is no treatment for Zika, PAHO said researchers are working on vaccines, with five potential vaccine candidates headed for clinical trials. To date 200,000 cases have been confirmed, more than half from Brazil, were 2,618 children born with confirmed congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection. PAHO said experts now consider Zika to be a long-term public health challenge, following the declaration by WHO's Emergency Committee on Zika that the epidemic's emergency phase was over. Globally, the risk assessment of Zika has not changed, and the virus continues to spread geographically to areas where competent vectors are present, PAHO said. According to PAHO's latest update, 48 countries and territories in the Americas have confirmed transmission of Zika virus disease through mosquitoes since 2015 and five countries in the Americas have reported sexually transmitted Zika cases.



collected by :Sandra Alex
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